The Sunday Junkie: The final edition

As most of you know, this our final edition of The Sunday Junkie, our weekly reader-feedback feature. This week, we want to say thanks.

For nearly five years, MMAjunkie.com readers have submitted weekly 150-word snippets that discuss, debate, scrutinize, condemn and celebrate all aspects of MMA. Through your contributions, we get a better idea of what readers think and care about, and in turn, it’s helped MMAjunkie.com shape and sharpen our own news coverage.

Some of you have old us that The Sunday Junkie has sparked a passion for writing and that you’ve parlayed the experience into gigs elsewhere. After all, dozens – if not hundreds – of you have shown real talent and consistently spark healthy debate among fellow readers.

However, with the number of submissions slowly declining over the past couple years, and with traffic to The Sunday Junkie also petering out, it was time to put the feature to rest and explore other opportunities. Soon, we’ll new ways for MMAjunkie.com readers to be heard and to share their opinions, so stay tuned for those announcements.

In the meantime, we simply wanted to thank the (literally) thousands of you who have submitted entries over the past half-decade. We also wanted to acknowledge the many of you who reached out this week to thank us for providing a platform to be heard. It was unequivocally our pleasure.

This week, the last-ever winner of The Sunday Junkie turned out to be England’s Keith Stevens, who explains why he believes Jon Jones quickly lost all the goodwill he had earned at UFC 165.

For his winning entry, Keith wins a free one-year subscription to “Fighters Only” magazine, the world’s leading MMA and lifestyle magazine.

So for now, check out Keith’s and the other entries below. And thanks again for making The Sunday Junkie and MMAjunkie.com part of your weekends.

(Pictured: Jon Jones)

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JON JONES QUICKLY UNDOES ALL GOODWILL

At UFC 165 Jon Jones showed the world he had the heart to go with his undoubted skills. Even his critics were praising the part he played in an epic war with Alexander Gustafsson. It was hard not to respect a man who had given his all regardless of who you thought won. A week later, Jones has undone a lot of this goodwill by saying he was only at 70 percent, that he thought he won decisively and Glover Teixeira was more deserving for his next fight despite previously saying Teixeira wasn’t ready. For a man who claims that his “brand” awareness was responsible for his Gatorade deal, he shows a distinct lack of awareness when it comes to public speaking. It’s a shame a man capable of such great feats doesn’t as the old saying go: “Let your actions do the talking.”

Keith Stevens
Bristol, England

JON JONES IS A GREAT FIGHTER AND BUSINESSMAN

Since the announcement that the most anticipated light heavyweight rematch in MMA history won’t be happening next, fans have been outraged. Jon Jones is a warrior and welcomes all challengers. Glover Teixeira earned the title of No. 1 contender, and Jones isn’t going to deny him of that. Jones knows the UFC wants him to fight Teixeira for the title, and delaying that fight could put it on hold forever. Say the Jones/Alexander Gustafsson rematch happens. Then you give Teixeira to Phil Davis. So much could go wrong with that. Jones could lose to Gustafsson, Teixeira could lose to Davis, and you still have Daniel Cormier and Jones’ beef on the table that needs to be resolved. As much as fans are not getting what they want for once, I respect Jones for giving Teixeira the next title shot. The fans are getting the biggest shaft for not getting this rematch booked, especially for Super Bowl weekend. Either way, when have you ever seen a boring Jon Jones fight? Fans will get to see an awesome fight in February either way. Plus, the injury bug is always lurking around the corner. Sorry Teixeira, don’t mean to jinx you, but if I did, Gustafsson and fans all over the world will thank me.

Ben McPhee
Prescott Valley, Ariz.

HOW TO IMPROVE THE UFC TALE OF THE TAPE

There are two additions I would like to see on the UFC “Tale of the Tape.” First, the fighter’s leg reach should be listed to give fans a better idea of who may control the range. Fighters use leg kicks sometimes more often than a jab to dictate range. Jon Jones might use his legs to attack more than a fighter uses his power hand, but we still don’t know how long those legs are. The fighter’s punching power should also be listed after being tested. Test both fighters electronically and give the fans a new way to see which fighter has more punching power. A fight can end with any punch; that’s a given. But there’s no harm in having both fighters punch the same machine to get a result. These two additions can really make the Tale of the Tape more informative and entertaining.

Fred Chavez
Garden Grove, Calif.

WATCHING JONES-GUSTAFSSON A SECOND TIME DOESN’T WORK

Jon Jones vs Alexander Gustafsson has been the hottest subject in the MMA world since the decision was announced at UFC 165. And amid the “controversial decision,” fans of both fighters have been screaming at each other to rewatch the fight. My question is, when will MMA fans realize that watching the fight again will almost never change your mind? Because you already know the outcome, you’re not watching the fight as somebody trying to formulate an opinion. You have your opinion and are now trying to persuade others to agree with you by showing why you feel the judges’ decision is correct or not. But the fact of the matter is that everybody’s perspective about who won isn’t going to be the same. And unfortunately, unless you’re one of the judges getting paid for his or her opinions on the fight, your opinion of who won is only really important to you.

Jay Richardson
Derby, Conn.

UFC MADE THE RIGHT MOVE WITH JONES VS. TEIXEIRA

The moment that UFC 165’s main event decision had been read, the world exploded with the words “immediate rematch.” And though the idea of seeing Jon Jones and Alexander Gustafsson start Round 6 is mighty appealing, it would’ve been the wrong move to make. Recent rematches (B.J. Penn vs. Frankie Edgar, Edgar vs. Gray Maynard and Anderson Silva vs. Chris Weidman) have all been booked due to the champion losing or due to a draw. The champ won this fight and needs to go on to the next one. And honestly, does anyone think Gustafsson won’t make it back in one or two fights? We’ll get our rematch, and the UFC made the right move.

Jacob Yarnold
Loxahatchee, Fla.

JON JONES ISN’T READY FOR HEAVYWEIGHT

Jon Jones and Alexander Gustafsson put on one of the greatest back-and-forth light heavyweight championship fights of all time, but as the final bell rung and we waited for the judges’ scorecards, one thing was clear: Jones is not ready for the heavyweight division. After the Gustafsson fight, does anyone doubt Cain Velasquez would have any problems taking Jones down? Would Junior dos Santos have any problems stuffing Jones’s takedowns? At this point I would favor Roy Nelson over Jones! Jones needs to stay in the light heavyweight division and continue to hone his skills. His wrestling was shockingly ineffective against Gustafsson, and his striking still has a gimmicky feel to it. There are still some challenges for him in the light heavyweight division. If in two years he has wiped out another slew of challengers, then I would recommend retirement before going to heavyweight.

Michael Hollander
Lady Lake, Fla.

DON’T GET TOO COCKY, JON JONES

After the most competitive fight Jon Jones has ever had (which, to many, was a controversial decision win), he was very complimentary to Alexander Gustafsson. Later, however, he stated he was not at his best, which insults his opponent’s great efforts. Then Jones says after watching the fight later he “clearly won” and did not see the need for an automatic rematch. There seems to be a swagger about him now that is reminiscent of Anderson Silva, and Glover Teixeira could be Jones’ Chris Weidman. Teixeira is tough, well-rounded, fearless and just the kind of fighter to say, “I’m your Huckleberry.” The oddsmakers can’t quantify heart and desire, of which Teixeira has in large quantities. When egos don’t get checked, chins do.

Aaron G.
Meridian, Idaho

BLESSED TO BE IN THE “BONES” AREA

The MMA community is currently in a period of stacked cards and relevant title defenses. This begins and ends with Jon Jones. On Sept. 21, Jones and Alexander Gustafsson engaged in a title fight that evoked images of Ali-Frazier III. Superbowl weekend, “Bones” defends his title against hard hitter Glover Teixeira. Between Jones’ two title defenses, Georges St-Pierre’s welterweight title is at stake against Johny Hendricks. Bellator’s lightweight title rematch will be incredible. Anthony Pettis will defend his UFC strap. Anderson Silva will attempt to regain his long-held middleweight crown. Cain Velasquez and Junior dos Santos will complete a heavyweight trilogy for the ages. Daniel Cormier will be watching after the Roy Nelson fight to see if he will face “Bones” or chase heavyweight gold. With so many great fights in this four-month span, we’re blessed to be in the “Bones” era to witness them.

Christopher Juarez
Frederick, Md.

GOODBYE, OCTAGON CONTROL. YOU WERE WEIRD

Who really controlled the octagon in the main event of UFC 165? Was it the challenger, who backpedalled but stuffed takedowns, or the champion, who had the center of the cage but failed to bring his opponent to the ground? The problem with octagon control is that we will never be able to produce a universal list of what positions should be considered dominant or subordinated since a position in MMA is only as good or bad as a fighter’s skills make it out to be. The only ways for a judge to know which fighter is at an advantage in what position is to either make use of prior knowledge about the fighters (big no-no) or look at which fighter is having success in what position, turning octagon control into nothing but a superfluous extension of all other criteria. Please rid us of that subjective and weird criterion already.

Mathias Castejon
Gothenburg, Sweden

LIFE AFTER THE UFC FOR OKAMI

Yushin Okami’s release came as a surprise to some, but the UFC’s loss can now be another organization’s gain, and it will most likely come down to WSOF and Bellator. In the past Bellator has said it prefers not to sign UFC castoffs and wants to build its own stars, but with the signings of Tito Ortiz and “Rampage” Jackson, that is out the window. Okami vs. Alexander Shlemenko would be a great fight that could very well end with Okami becoming a champion. If he signs with WSOF, he would get the chance to pick up some wins on what is still a big stage, and it would be interesting to see how a guy like Jesse Taylor could handle himself against Okami. Whichever way Okami does go, there are definitely still options for him, and it will be exciting to see which he chooses.

Joel Wielenga
Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada

OKAMI’S RELEASE THE LATEST SIGN OF A TROUBLING TREND

Yushin Okami’s release is the next step in the disconcerting trend that continues in the UFC, a trend that lowers the credibility of the sport. It turns the organization into more of a spectacle than a sporting contest. The UFC inherently holds in its hands the fate of whether or not this sport that we love will become truly mainstream. When an organization turns to tactics of weeding out the fighters who are less “exciting,” it not only lowers the validity of the divisions in which those fighters fought, it decreases the level of trust that the competitors have in their employee. Now, fighters may feel as though they have to change their styles in order to please the bosses. “Boring fighters” who once thrived will continue to be released and fade into mainstream obscurity, and that trend hurts the sport in the long run.

Derek Langhorn
Bellingham, Wash.

OKAMI AND THE NEED FOR A CONSISTENT CUTTING POLICY

UFC officials have made it clear that the roster is bloated, and that they’ll cut anyone who underperforms. However, high-level fighters like Yushin Okami (3-1 in his last four) are being cut while fighters who have consistently underperformed recently such as Chris Leben (1-3 in his last four) are getting another chance. Okami has been a company man, fighting whoever is put in front of him, while Leben has struggled with failed drug tests. The UFC needs to have a consistent cutting policy. Obviously not every case is exactly the same, but discrepancies such as this need to stop, especially if the UFC wants to call itself a mainstream sporting organization. Whether it’s simply “three losses, and you’re out,” or something more nuanced, we should never be surprised when a fighter is released.

Connor Woodard
Oklahoma City, Okla.

TIME TO GET SERIOUS ABOUT WEIGHT-CUTTING IN MMA

Leandro Souza’s passing shone a light once again on the ridiculous tradition of weight-cutting in combat sports. Hopefully this tragedy will spur an overhaul to the weigh-in process – but pathetically, probably not. The only purpose to cutting weight is to pick on someone smaller than you (is MMA for schoolyard bullies?), but when both combatants do it, as is almost always the case, it’s a moot point. Weigh-ins should take place no earlier than when a fighter arrives at the arena and possibly right before his or her walkout. Additionally, fighters should be weighed when they sign a contract (Skype?) and should not be allowed to weigh more than half the difference to the next class (fighting at 145? Can’t weigh more than 150) at that time or one week out. This would ensure fair and livelier competition, 100 percent fighter safety in regards to weight, and the sport’s integrity and longevity.

Jonathan Brady
Sarasota, Fla.

UFC NEEDS TO TAKE THE LEAD IN BANNING MASSIVE WEIGHT CUTS

So a fighter has died due to complications that arouse from trying to make weight. Every MMA fan is aware that cutting weight is a brutal affair, but I doubt many knew just how dangerous it is. And in recent years, it just seems the problem has been getting worse. More and more I’m seeing oversized guys trying to make it to weight classes they are simply too big for, and more often than not, it works against them because it ruins their cardio. And now someone has died, trying to make a weight he probably had no business being in in the first place. This is a problem that needs to stop being discussed and actually fixed. The UFC is the standard. If they did it, the rest would follow suit. It needs to happen now before more 20 year kids drop dead from dehydration.

“Aaron”
Silver Spring, Md.

UFC MATCHMAKERS’ CREDIBILITY TO BE DETERMINED BY MIESHA TATE

With recent title shots going to people coming off loses (Nick Diaz, Chael Sonnen, Frankie Edgar), and none of them winning, Miesha Tate beating Ronda Rousey would justify these matches. Dana White calls Joe Silva and Sean Shelby the best matchmakers, but giving title shots to competitors who lost their previous fights puts their status in question. If Tate beats Rousey, then we would see someone who shouldn’t have received a title shot proving their worthiness and thus justifying the matchmaking of the two “best in the business.”

“DekiM”
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

IS DANIEL CORMIER ANOTHER OVERHYPED FIGHTER?

Every time we hear about Daniel Cormier, he is hailed as another champion at either the heavyweight or light heavyweight division. However, should we really believe that he is a legitimate threat? Granted, he was the last Strikeforce champion, but in only one fight in the UFC he was not that impressive, at least not as impressive as let’s say Josh Barnett’s performance against Frank Mir. It is disappointing that if he decides to drop to light heavyweight, which he has had difficulties in the past in cutting weight, he will be given a title shot against Jon Jones. By looking at his past record, he has not earned the status of being a top contender at either weight class, especially when you compare other fighters, especially his upcoming opponent Roy Nelson. Let Cormier prove himself against top talent in heavyweight and light heavyweight before he can even be considered a real contender.

Ray Garza
Laredo, Texas

“SUPERFIGHT” TO “SUPER FIGHTS”

After an injury-ridden 2012, the UFC promised that 2013 was the year that it would give us a “superfight.” Although they did not come through, they did make up for it by providing us with numerous “super fights” such as Benson Henderson vs. Anthony Pettis 2, Jon Jones vs. Alexander Gustafsson, Cain Velasquez vs. Junior dos Santos 3, Georges St-Pierre vs. Johny Hendricks and that stacked year-end card of Chris Weidman vs. Anderson Silva 2 and Ronda Rousey vs. Miesha Tate 2. All of these will have taken place within a span of five months. Not only has the UFC given us this amazing year-end run, but we can’t forget about the numerous free cards, some that have even been pay-per-view worthy. Not to mention the lineup of great non-headlining fights. Thank you, UFC!

Alex Bruyere
Fort Frances, Ontario, Canada

THANK YOU TO THE SUNDAY JUNKIE

As we bid farewell to The Sunday Junkie, I wanted to say thank you to the site for this feature over the years. Each Sunday the voices of MMAJunkies rang out in a column dedicated to our views and opinions. Regardless whether I agreed or disagreed with the views in The Sunday Junkie, it was a privilege to share my thoughts and opinions while reading others. I realized with the increase in Sunday content and the time it took to compile The Sunday Junkie each week that one day it would come to an end. It’s great to see this site continue to grow, and thank you for providing this unique platform to all MMAJunkies to share opinions on the current events in MMA. I hope everyone that submitted entries will continue to share their thoughts in the comments and on the MMAjunkie.com forums.

Noah “buffaloblue” Hubbs
Charlotte, N.C.

A SIMPLE THANK YOU

Just wanted to drop you guys a line, not to discuss anything in particular, just to thank you for giving us, the readers, the opportunity to broach topics via The Sunday junkie. You’ve been an outlet for all of us to discuss all things MMA, from animosity over a fight/decision to discussing matchups we’d like to see to fighters’ legacies. You’ve allowed us, the readers, an opportunity to mold the landscape of the content. You guys deserve the thank you for the hard work and dedication to us, the fans. Good luck going forward. (Momma always said flattery gets you everywhere, and I’ve never been published here before. LOL.)

“Rookieblue7″
Euharlee, Ga.

A SAD DAY

This is truly a depressing day. As I write this, I don’t know if this will be included in the last ever edition of The Sunday Junkie. However, I do know it will be the last ever. On Sundays, especially after a UFC event on a Saturday night, I always go to MMAjunkie.com and read the submissions for The Sunday Junkie. I’m not sure why the editors or USA Today has decided to get rid of it, but I am honestly sad to see it go. So thanks to all of you faithful MMA fans who decide to post your opinion through the week (in some cases late Saturday night), and thanks to MMAjunkie.com for the opportunity to express those opinions and the forum to do so.

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